2012 Races and Recommendations
Drudoo
Posts: 275 Member
I wanted to start a thread to hear where everyone raced this year and what your thoughts on the race were. I'll get it started,
April 1, 2012- Ironman Texas 70.3, Galveston, TX
-The course is flat and fast. This was my second year at this race and must say I recommend it. The swim in a loop in a protected area of water, the bike is an out and back along the coast and the run was a 3 lap loop through the host resort. I do recommend it.
June 10, 2012- Ironman Kansas 70.3, Lawrence, KS
-The course is trickier than most would think. The swim in an out in back in Clinton Lake, followed by a rather hilly bike (yes, there are hills in Kansas) followed by a two lap run through the state park. If the wind picks up, like it did this year, the water will be very choppy and the bike will be quite difficult. Excellent location and an excellent city!
August 26th, 2012, Ironman Louisville, Louisville, KY
- Relatively flat course with a few rollers on the bike. Point to point river swim, out and back bike with 2 laps of 30 mi. loop, and a 2 lap out and back run. The current in the Ohio River is slow, the bike was beautiful and the run was scenic. Highly recommended for a first IM. Race was very well ran.
Let me know where you raced and what your experience was like!
April 1, 2012- Ironman Texas 70.3, Galveston, TX
-The course is flat and fast. This was my second year at this race and must say I recommend it. The swim in a loop in a protected area of water, the bike is an out and back along the coast and the run was a 3 lap loop through the host resort. I do recommend it.
June 10, 2012- Ironman Kansas 70.3, Lawrence, KS
-The course is trickier than most would think. The swim in an out in back in Clinton Lake, followed by a rather hilly bike (yes, there are hills in Kansas) followed by a two lap run through the state park. If the wind picks up, like it did this year, the water will be very choppy and the bike will be quite difficult. Excellent location and an excellent city!
August 26th, 2012, Ironman Louisville, Louisville, KY
- Relatively flat course with a few rollers on the bike. Point to point river swim, out and back bike with 2 laps of 30 mi. loop, and a 2 lap out and back run. The current in the Ohio River is slow, the bike was beautiful and the run was scenic. Highly recommended for a first IM. Race was very well ran.
Let me know where you raced and what your experience was like!
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April ?, 2012- Memorial Hermann Kemah Triathlon (Oly)- Kemah, TX- Great race. Dropped off from a boat 1500m from shore and you swim back in. Surf was atrocious this year. Bike is flat, but windy. Pretty much like Galveston where it's in your face on the way out and you fly back in. Run is flat except for the over and back over the Kemah Bridge. That's a killer. Would do if not doing Galveston 70.3 this year.
June 2012- Sylvan Beach Triathlon- La Porte, TX- 1000m, 18 miles, 8k. Odd distance that is more suited to swimmers, but it's such a fun and smaller race that I'd do it repeatedly. There are a couple of overpasses on the bike that you could consider hillish, but overall a pancake flat course.
July 2012- Tri Aggieland Sprint- College Station, TX- This is a pool swim (Boo) and a first year tri this past year so I was apprehensive, but I won an entry so it was free. Very well put on race. Swim in Texas A&M Natatorium, 2 loop bike was out to the outskirts of campus and back through. Run went through the football stadium which was cool.
August 2012- Memorial Hermann Bridgeland Triathlon- Cypress, TX- Sprint- Always a good race but a huge field for a sprint. This may be my first race back after IMTX next year. Aaron always puts on great races.
September 2012- Memorial Hermann Houston Towne Lake Triathlon- Cypress, TX- Was shortened to an aquathon due to weather. Again this is in the series with Bridgeland and Kemah so it had the same top notch directing. More fast and flat. Wind could be an issue on some of the roads as I ride them A LOT.
Still to come Oilman HIM. First weekend in Nov. in Conroe, TX. Local HIM with lots of local talent.0 -
This is a great thread...especially for a "newbie" like me who is looking to plan for next year.
It sounds like Texas is the place to be. I've never wanted to live in Texas, but maybe I am wrong !:) The Galveston Ironman 70.3 sounds especially great. I am trying to figure out which Ironman to do. I am thinking Ironman Raleigh (first year of it) next June and maybe a local HIM in Charleston, SC (not an ironman distance, but ironman length). I've heard it is a great course.
I'm also interested in St. Anthony's Olympic (http://satriathlon.com/) in April in Florida. It has great reviews.
This year I did a few great sprints and a great Olympic. If you are in the NC/SC/GA region, I highly recommend:
Tybee Island Sprint Triathlon - This was my first, but it was a great sprint. The water was terrible because of a storm, but I enjoyed the ocean swim. Bike was flat and fast and the run was quite pretty through the nice beach neighborhood.
Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series - There are 5 sprints. The lake is a bit gross, but it is a pretty course otherwise. It is nice to do the same race more than once and see result.
Kiawah Island Olympic - This was the best so far. The beach is BEAUTIFUL. They walk you down forever and then you swim back. The bike was gorgeous and went over marshes, bridges, etc. all through beautiful Kiawah Island. The run was flat and a bit to wound around a bit too much, but it was still a great event.
I wouldn't recommend The DAM TRI that I did last weekend. Course was too scary on the bike.
Please keep the recommendations coming. I'm trying to create my dream list!
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Ooo, I may have to do that Kiawah Oly next year! Sounds great!
My September sprint at Huntington Beach State Park in SC is called the Long Bay Triathlon, and it was also beautiful and an easy course. Ocean swim was great, the bike was fun and fairly easy, and the run was nice.0 -
This is a great thread...especially for a "newbie" like me who is looking to plan for next year.
It sounds like Texas is the place to be. I've never wanted to live in Texas, but maybe I am wrong !:) The Galveston Ironman 70.3 sounds especially great. I am trying to figure out which Ironman to do. I am thinking Ironman Raleigh (first year of it) next June and maybe a local HIM in Charleston, SC (not an ironman distance, but ironman length). I've heard it is a great course.
I'm also interested in St. Anthony's Olympic (http://satriathlon.com/) in April in Florida. It has great reviews.
This year I did a few great sprints and a great Olympic. If you are in the NC/SC/GA region, I highly recommend:
Tybee Island Sprint Triathlon - This was my first, but it was a great sprint. The water was terrible because of a storm, but I enjoyed the ocean swim. Bike was flat and fast and the run was quite pretty through the nice beach neighborhood.
Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series - There are 5 sprints. The lake is a bit gross, but it is a pretty course otherwise. It is nice to do the same race more than once and see result.
Kiawah Island Olympic - This was the best so far. The beach is BEAUTIFUL. They walk you down forever and then you swim back. The bike was gorgeous and went over marshes, bridges, etc. all through beautiful Kiawah Island. The run was flat and a bit to wound around a bit too much, but it was still a great event.
I wouldn't recommend The DAM TRI that I did last weekend. Course was too scary on the bike.
Please keep the recommendations coming. I'm trying to create my dream list!
It's just nice that you can race 9 or so months out of the year and train year round, at least here in Houston. Also other than San Antonio there are really great Race Directors in the major areas of Texas.
Where exactly do you live? St. Anthony's is great. I have a friend in Connecticut that actually flies down most years because of how good it is. What I hear is it may have let the field get a little too big though. In the Carolinas I hear really good things about the Rev3 event in Anderson, SC, Beach to Battleship, and if you want to go just over the border to GA then Augusta 70.3 is an AWESOME race.
Oh and Raleigh is sold out I think. Just FYI.0 -
Where exactly do you live? St. Anthony's is great. I have a friend in Connecticut that actually flies down most years because of how good it is. What I hear is it may have let the field get a little too big though. In the Carolinas I hear really good things about the Rev3 event in Anderson, SC, Beach to Battleship, and if you want to go just over the border to GA then Augusta 70.3 is an AWESOME race.
Oh and Raleigh is sold out I think. Just FYI.
I live in Columbia, SC, which is only a few hours from the beach and an hour from Augusta. I actually went online to register for Raleigh this weekend. I didn't think it would sell out quickly because it is the first year that it will be there and it just opened about a month ago. BUT...you are right, it is sold out. In looking for others, I decided to do the Ironman 70.3 in Florida. It's next May. I am super excited and scared. I also signed up to do it for Miles for Melanoma and raise money for that organization. In light on my husband's recent scare, I think it is fate.0
